The Icebox Incident
by Cora-DragonSoul
Summary: Nurse!Lucy AU - When Natsu ended up in ED with freezer burns because his friend locked him in an icebox, he didn't realise that he'd have reason to thank said friend, but the appearance of a cute nurse made him decide that maybe ice wasn't so bad. Just NaLu drabble to practice and hopefully make a friend laugh. Rating for later smut, but you'll be warned first.
1. Chapter 1

**So my friend took me out to dinner the other night because I was having an anxiety freak out, and I asked her to help me choose between to prompts and one was nurse Lucy and then we got laughing about how Natsu would be in hospital because Gray locked him in an Icebox and he got freezer burns and then we couldn't stop laughing. And then I saw an ice fridge at the grocery store and started laughing again.**

 **So anyway, this is dedicated to her because I told her I'd write some drabble with it.**

 **Someone draw Natsu locked in an icebox for me or I'll have to resort to shitty photoshop :P**

 **Disclaimer: you all know what I own, but it's not Natsu or Lucy or Fairy Tail.**

* * *

 **The Icebox Incident**

"What the fuck, Pin-dick? Let me out of here!"

Natsu heard what sounded distinctly like cackling through the heavy, insulated door. He rattled the handle to the walk-in freezer again, but it wouldn't budge. It was locked.

"Seriously, let me out! You know how much I hate the cold!"

"Well you shouldn't have set fire to the table!" Came a muffled voice from the other side of the door. "Or turned the aircon heat up so high that the ice sculpture melted!"

"This is not appropriate retaliation!"

"When in your life have you ever understood 'appropriate retaliation'?"

Natsu was about to answer but instead yelped as he suddenly felt a stinging sensation on his forearm.

"You've got to be kidding me; freezer burn?" Apparently he'd been resting his arm on exposed ice too long. Dropping a few choice swear words, he took a step away from the door. And promptly slipped on a puddle, slamming his head on the ground as he landed on his back.

"Natsu? Yo, Natsu? You're not smart enough for tricks, answer me."

Not hearing a response, the door clicked and then slowly opened, a slightly concerned face peeking inside. The face took in Natsu's limp form on the ground.

"Oh, fuck. Mira! Natsu unconscious!"

 **The First Meet**

"Lucy, you've got the new one in bed 4! Reception said… 'freezer burn and head injury'."

"Got it, Levy! I can't wait to hear this story!"

It had been a busy evening in the Emergency Department of Magnolia Hospital and Lucy was buzzing. She lived for these rushes and the people that she helped. Her best friend, and fellow nurse, Levy didn't understand how it seemed to _give_ her energy, but somehow, it did. Even better, this latest patient sounded like they'd have an interesting story. ED for freezer burn? What the hell had happened?

Lucy walked through the curtain to see a man her age sitting on the bed, distracted by the flame of a lighter. She nearly stopped. She saw all sorts coming through, including some really good looking guys, but this guy was eye-catchingly hot. Muscular (but not too much) and super toned, with an angular face and slightly slanted eyes. And pastel-pink hair. He was… exotic. It was nearly the only word she could use. It certainly didn't help that dressed in dark cargos, a dark red T-shirt, and combat boots, and decorated with a leather wristband, single ear piercing and a couple of obvious scars, he gave off a major bad-boy vibe. She could even see the edges of a shoulder tattoo.

She sighed. The good-looking ones were always difficult, often dealing with hurt pride more than actual injuries and believing she would fawn over them. Wasn't happening. She readied herself for tough mode and put on her polite nurse smile.

"Hi there! I'm Lucy, I'm your nurse today. How about you explain to me what the issue is?"

The man's head shot up in surprise. Apparently he'd been quite caught up in watching the fire.

"And don't set fire to my equipment, please. Lighter away."

He quickly complied, stuffing the lighter into his pocket, but continued to look at her blankly for a second. She tried to prompt again.

"You presented with freezer burns and a head injury. Can you tell me how that happened?"

Suddenly he grinned and Lucy's chest constricted. _No, no, no. Bad Lucy! No being attracted to idiot bad-boys in ED!_ But his smile was just so huge and genuine and gorgeous. It wasn't fair!

"Oh" He finally spoke, answering her question. "My friend locked me in an icebox."

"An icebox?"

"Well, one of those walk-in freezer things. Stores the ice in there. So, icebox. Yeah. Locked me in. Then I fell over."

Lucy couldn't help herself. She burst out laughing. He was just explaining it so cheerily and… _blas_ _é_. Plus it was a ridiculous situation. She quickly gathered herself; laughing wasn't very professional for a nurse. The guy had raised an eyebrow at her, looking amused.

"Okay…" She looked down at her clipboard. "Natsu, is it? Let's have a look at these injuries so we can see what needs a doctor's attention."

Lucy walked over to him. "Head injury first. Where is it?"

He grunted. "Back of head. I'm sure I'm fine. Mira just freaked out and insisted I get looked at."

She continued the small talk while she tried to separate his unique hair from the wound.

"Oh, who's Mira? A girlfriend?"

A snort.

"Don't move your head. There's actually a lot of blood here. I need to clean it."

He stilled.

"Nah, Mira's the bartender. She's like an older sister. Always fussing. And meddling."

"Did you lose consciousness from this?"

"Mm. Only for, like, 30 seconds or something."

Natsu started fidgeting again only to have his hair yanked in return.

"I told you to stop moving. Alright. That's clean. You may need a head scan. We'll come back to it. It's too shallow to need stitches though. On to the freezer burns!"

She lightly touched one of the marks and heard a sharp intake of breath as he winced.

"On a scale of 1 to 10, how much does it hurt?"

"S'fine. Doesn't hurt."

 _Thwack_. She'd given him a hard whack to his chest with her clipboard.

"It does hurt. Don't lie to your nurse."

"Oh, come on, let me keep my pride!"

"Pride doesn't exist in ED because it gets people killed."

"...6." He mumbled before wisely shutting up.

He kept quiet while she continued to tend to his wounds, quickly cleaning, treating and dressing each one. She caught him watching her a couple of times, but she was used to odd looks and it didn't phase her.

"There. All done! So, the burns will heal easily; there's no lasting damage there, and there'll probably be no new scars."

He chuckled at this. "Damn."

She smiled in response. "But I will send the doctor in to have check that head injury. I probably won't be back myself, but another nurse will help dress it later on, okay? Nice to meet you, Natsu!"

"Ah, wait!"

Lucy froze as she went to leave the booth and turned back to face Natsu with puzzlement. He sat crosslegged on the bed, not looking at her, with one hand scratching the back of his head. Overall, he looked rather embarrassed that he'd called out to her. It was adorable and didn't match his image at all.

"Did you have a question?" She asked gently. If he had a medical question and didn't ask because of shame, it could go very wrong; she'd seen it.

It wasn't a medical question.

"Um, look, I know I'm probably not your type, but you seem really nice and smart and cool and cute…" He trailed off, mumbling the last part nearly under his breath. Lucy got the feeling he didn't do this often. Somehow that made it even more endearing.

She giggled softly before standing up straight and putting her free hand on her hip to regard him.

"How about you give me your number and I'll think about it?"

He beamed. Lucy decided she liked making that happen.

* * *

 **There will be at least 1 more chapter. I've decided I'm using this as a base to practice some other bits like smut.**

 **It's just drabble so it's not that good, but I hope it's at least amusing.**


	2. Chapter 2

**Well, holy shit, this story has taken off! It has a serious amount of notes on my tumblr o.O**

 **I'm really pleased so many people like it, but I'm laughing because it was seriously just drabble based off a joke. Fortunately, it also had the friend who inspired it in stitches, so I suppose it was a good thank you gift?**

 **Thank you for reviews! And yes, Natsu is trying to get it on with Lucy, but Lucy's not exactly being idle either :P**

 **Here we go! Sorry if it's not great, it is still just a practice piece.**

* * *

 _ **The First Date**_

Lucy couldn't stop laughing. She was holding her aching sides, bent over in her chair, trying not to fall in her food from laughing so hard. Natsu was waving his hands about, regaling her with some ridiculous story about his antics.

He finished his story and leaned back in his chair, shoving a handful of fries into his mouth, and just enjoying watching this girl. He couldn't believe she'd actually contacted him for a date. Two day after his hospital visit, just when he was losing all hope, he'd received a text from an unknown number.

 _Hi Natsu, this is nurse Lucy from the other night. I believe you were asking about dinner. Still up for it?_

He'd cheered, getting a weird look from his friends at the bar that was his regular haunt. And now, here he was, actually out at dinner with a gorgeous woman. Even better, it was going well. Obviously, Natsu didn't believe in 'love at first sight' or 'soul mates' or any of that crap, but he did think there were sparks here. Lucy was smart, bubbly, friendly (to freakin' everyone, including that sleaze of a waiter, much to Natsu's annoyance) and honest. She was also a tough and brave little nut, as he'd seen when he'd arrived to find some guys harassing her outside the restaurant. Before he'd had a chance to step in, she'd given them a verbal beatdown and scared them off. She was definitely feisty and he had a feeling that it could be a double-edged sword that he would love to throw himself on. Her amazing body and pretty face were just like a the icing on the cake.

Lucy had calmed down from her laughing fit and was looking at him in thought. Natsu swallowed his fries and shot her a questioning look in return.

"Why did your friend put you in an icebox?"

 _What paths did her mind take? How did she get there?_ He shrugged in response. "Probably because I set a table on fire."

His nonchalant admission was rewarded by the incredulous look on Lucy's face.

"You set his table on fire." She repeated.

"Yeah. I mean, it got put out pretty quickly. And it wouldn't be the first time."

She giggled and he thought he heard her mutter something about not being surprised.

"Still, it seems like a bit of an overreaction… I mean, you ended up in hospital!"

"That's what I said! Disproportionate retaliation."

"Isn't it a bit… mean?"

Natsu looked at her in slight surprise, she actually sounded a bit concerned. For his wellbeing?

"I mean, what kind of friend does that?" She now seemed outraged on his behalf.

He couldn't help himself; he cackled. He stopped quickly under her glare and shook his head at her.

"No, no. You don't understand. We've done worse to each other. He'd like my brother or something. You should have seen the time I set his shirt on fire or put super spicy hot sauce in his food. He put liquid nitrogen down my back for that one. We both ended up in hospital that day." He was grinning at the memory. Lucy looked shocked.

"I take back what I said about overreacting. You're both insane."

Natsu just hummed in agreement. "Probably."

The rest of the meal went just as well; Natsu telling stupid stories about his friends, Lucy telling funny or interesting stories about people who came through ED. They also swapped small talk about likes and dislikes and what they were doing at the moment. Natsu had to admit that he was just doing odd-jobs to get by at the moment, which he wasn't pleased about. Apparently Lucy was busy studying writing online.

Natsu was fiddling with his fork. They'd finished eating a little while ago, but he found himself not wanting the date to end. He glanced up to find Lucy looking distant. She seemed to be intently considering some thought she'd had as her brow was slightly furrowed in concentration. Abruptly her eyes refocused on him, startling him.

"Hey, Natsu, I was wondering, um…"

Natsu cocked his head to the side and waited. He was picking up on her nervousness and was very curious about what she was about to say. She cleared her throat and gathered herself again.

"I was thinking, did you want to maybe hang out for a bit longer at my place? Maybe watch a movie and eat dessert?"

He gaped at her. _Holy shit_. His dreams were coming true. _Answer quickly, don't make her uncomfortable_. A voice in his head yelled at him, but at the same time, he didn't want to seem overly eager. He forced his mouth closed with a snap and swallowed past a lump that had grown in his throat. It wasn't exactly nervousness. He couldn't quite name the sensation; it was a mixture of excitement and a feeling of ' _don't fuck this up_ '. Natsu forced himself into calm.

"If you want. Yeah, sure."

Was that an appropriate answer? It seemed good enough because Lucy broke out into a grin and suggested they head off. He could barely concentrate as they fixed the bill (he'd offered to pay but she'd swatted him away, scowling). His mind was throwing a party. He internally yelled at himself for the hundredth time, trying to be heard over the celebration; _Don't fuck this up, Natsu!_

 _ **The Movie Incident**_

Lucy was chewing on her bottom lip in thought as her and Natsu approached the door to her apartment. As her place wasn't that far from the restaurant, they'd decided to walk there. It had been pleasant. They'd chatted easily about all manner of things, little and big. At some point she'd started shivering in the cool night air, so he'd slung an arm over her shoulders and pulled her into his body. They'd also had to fend off a drunk friend of Natsu's who had initially tried to tackle him into a hug. Then she'd noticed Lucy. With a chuckle and a sigh, Natsu had skillfully pried the girl (Cana, her name was) away from them both, pointed her in another direction and gently told her to 'piss off'. She'd taken this in good humour, throwing a wave and wink back at them as she had sauntered off.

But now Lucy was thinking about her reasons for this decision. She wasn't regretting, but just re-examining. She didn't often make spur-of-the-moment decisions; especially not ones that involved a stranger in her house. So, why had she invited Natsu back? He was attractive, sure, and she really wouldn't mind if the night ended in passion (in fact, that was her main goal), but she also wouldn't have minded if they just hung out all night. She got along with him. They clicked. In a way she had rarely experienced. There was no awkwardness or uncomfortable silences. Plus, he was honest (if brutally so) and sincere and kind. She could tell he was stubborn and had a fiery temper, but she'd never felt more safe. Lucy gave a slight sigh as she decided she was overanalyzing. She was drawn to him, that's all she needed to know. If she only got the one night, so be it, she'd be satisfied. But if all went well, maybe she'd see him again. That would be better.

Door now unlocked, Lucy stepped into her house, Natsu following close behind.

"Welcome to my humble abode!" She announced with a giggle. It wasn't much, a single bedroom and bathroom, tiny kitchen area and a loungeroom. But it was spacious and clean.

Natsu closed the door behind him, looking around.

"You've got a nice place, Lucy." He said with slight awe. "My place is a shithole."

"How about you find a movie you want to watch while I make some hot chocolates?" She'd discovered that neither of them were fans of coffee. "They're in the draw under the TV over there." She made her way into the kitchen.

Suddenly; "Woah! You've got a PlayStation!"

"Hm? Oh yeah, my friend left it here and forgot about it."

"What games do you have? Oh! Hey, let's play Tekken instead of a movie!"

Lucy wandered back out from the kitchen, drinks in hand. "I'm not very good at games."

"You don't need to be. Trust me, it'll be fun!" He won her over with his huge, charming smile.

With a sigh, Lucy agreed. "Sure, why not?"

Lucy had to admit, playing Tekken had been more fun than she'd initially thought, but it was getting better. She'd somehow kept winning even though she had no idea what she was doing. Natsu had yelled about 'beginner's luck' and 'button mashing', quickly switching between annoyance and laughter. Finally, he'd decided his pride was at risk and, with a mischievous smirk, had stolen her controller right out of her hands. As she'd tried to get it back, they'd both fallen off the couch. With lightning fast reflexes, he'd managed to catch the back of her head so it didn't slam into the ground, and catch his own weight so he didn't crush her underneath him.

But now they were here; Lucy on her back, on the ground, eyes wide and mouth forming a small 'o' shape from slight shock. Natsu was over her, his legs tangled with hers, his arm behind her head, his face dangerously close. Lucy's heart went wild, but she forced herself to breath. She watched Natsu's eyes dart from her own to her mouth and back again. She broke into a soft smile. That was all the encouragement he needed. He dropped his head and his lips met hers as he claimed a kiss. It didn't last long, much to her disappointment. He pulled back and met her eyes again. Lucy's brain whirred and then clicked. He was checking what she wanted. He was making sure he wasn't overstepping. Her smile turned wicked as she reached up and grabbed his shirt collar with both hands, pulling it down so she could put her lips to his ear.

"I didn't tell you to stop." She all but purred.

She heard his breath hitch. She planted a soft kiss just behind his earlobe; lips grazing the skin just enough to send shivers down his spine.

He pulled back out of her grasp. Lucy swallowed at the look on his face. _Uh oh_. She'd woken something. Something she was certain she was going to enjoy immensely. There was a predatory hunger in his eyes and in his smirk. But there also mischief, excitement and tenderness. And cunning.

"You're not the boss of me" He purred back. The childish retort sounded positively criminal in his low voice.

It was Lucy's turn to have her breath hitch. His head dropped again, but this time his mouth went to her neck, tenderly nibbling and kissing. Her brain short-circuited and a moan escaped her lips. Natsu's face shot back up, his grin had turned triumphant.

 _Right,_ She thought. _This is a game, is it? Two can play at this. And I will win._

Lucy let out a growl as her fingers quickly moved to tangle themselves in the hair on his head and pull him down. Their lips locked again, sending fire through her veins. She heard a faint whimper coming from the pink-haired man above her.

Yeah, this was going to be a good night.

* * *

 **OK, I'm sorry my smut didn't go any further! It's a start, but I'm not sure I can do it yet.**

 **Don't worry though! I'm not done with this story yet! I'm enjoying it too much!**


	3. Chapter Smut

So, technically chapter 3, but was basically just me practicing smut.

It does give some insight into their relationship, especially the last paragraph, but it's not necessary to read if you're avoiding mature content.

So, standard: WARNING: NSFW - mature sexual content

(fuck, writing smut it difficult! like, you either have stupid euphemisms or unsexy real words. I don't know if I can do this again… I like to read it, but I feel ridiculous writing it - so awkward - I ended up sort of chickening out at the really good parts - i'm so sorry)

* * *

 _ **The Third Week**_

Natsu was beaming and his eyes were shining, but his breathing was ragged as he slowly lifted Lucy's tight top over her head. He just wanted to soak in the sight of her but he knew if he waited too long she'd get embarrassed. Not that she had anything to be embarrassed about. He couldn't get over how gorgeous she was. And she positively glowed. She always glowed, it was like she was filled with sunlight which was set free when she smiled. Jesus, he was getting sappy.

He was sitting on the couch, hips straddled by this girl he couldn't get enough of. Natsu leaned forward to nibble and suck the skin along her collarbone, using his unusually long, pointed canines to draw out a moan.

He smirked through his ministrations, thoughts spinning. It had been about three weeks since their first date had gone unexpectedly well. They'd ended up seeing each other every couple of nights; one of them deciding they wanted company and texting the other. Not all of them ended up like this. Sometimes they really did just hang out, going out to dinner or watching movies on the couch or just wandering to the park to watch the stars. He didn't mind. He just liked her company. Lucy usually had this calming effect on him and he found himself wrapped around her little finger. Not that she realised, which made it even better.

Lucy had clearly gotten impatient while he was lost in his reminiscing, as her hands made their way to the hem of his own shirt, impatiently tugging it off. Natsu's last real thought was that Lucy was the one really running this show. She seemed nervous and hesitant sometimes, but she had such a fire in her. He could be stupidly oblivious at times so she steered him. For all the confidence and boisterous energy he had, he was completely lost, drowning, dragged along for the ride; and he didn't have a single complaint. Lucy kissed him then, and he stopped thinking altogether.

Natsu returned Lucy's kisses with matched hunger as his slid up her bare thighs and under her short, pleated skirt. Her hands were gripping onto his back, her body trying to subconsciously pull her closer to his. His hands found the upper edge of her lacy underwear, but he quickly realised they were not in a position he could easily get them off. He had a brief wish that he could just set them on fire and turn them to ash before he instead placed his hands under her arse and stood, picking her up with him. He had planned to carry her to the bed, but apparently Lucy had other plans. She dropped her feet, slipping out of his hold and stepping back from him, breaking the kiss. With a very determined glint in her eye and a self-confident smirk, she removed the article of clothing that had just been annoying him. He smirked back and let her come back to him. She might have power over him, but this was a battlefield. Every time it turned into a bit of a power struggle. Both of them were stubborn and spirited, not liking to give ground often. He was not going to chase after her.

Unfortunately for him, today Lucy's game was to see how far she could push him before he snapped. She gracefully slid forward again, skirt swaying, still on her hips, and allowed her fingers to curl over Natsu's waistband. It unbuttoned with a quick flick and she slowly dragged the zipper down, while her lips trailed along his sculpted abdomen. His head tipped back as her mouth met his neck and he couldn't suppress a groan of pleasure. She let out a small gasp as his calloused hands suddenly squeezed her behind and quickly pushed him away from her, towards the couch. He was chuckling as he stepped backwards, but his baggy jeans had dropped to his ankles and he tripped over them with an undignified squawk. Lucy stopped in surprise before she burst out laughing. He looked so ridiculous awkwardly sprawled in an attempt to catch himself, half on the couch.

"Luuuuuucy!" He dragged out her name in a whine. "Don't laugh at me! I could have been hurt!"

She just snorted in response. "You? Hurt? When would that be new? You being injured is like your natural state of being."

He humphed and pouted at her. Lucy rolled her eyes.

"Don't pout. You're a lot less hot when you look like a 5 year old. You're still adorable, but it makes this being mostly naked thing weird."

"You're weird." But in a flash, his face had morphed into a smirk, eyeing her dangerously.

That's what she wanted to see. She sauntered over to him, unclasping and dropping her bra on the way. She leant over him and kissed him again.

She loved to kiss him. It was like fire and electricity. He tasted sort of smoky, but not in the cigarette kind of way, more in the campfire sort of way. It warmed her; melting her, sending her heart wild and making her groin ache.

Natsu's hands reached up to squeeze her breasts only to find they were brushed away. He made a small noise of protest which changed to another groan of bliss as Lucy's fingers trailed along the waistband of his boxers. His erection had been straining desperately for freedom since quite early on and he was starting to feel impatient as his desire started to spiral out of his control. He sucked in a sharp breath as he felt her dainty fingers slip into his underwear and he moved his hands to pull them off for her. He didn't exactly want her to move from where she was. He grinned into Lucy's mouth as she grunted and pinned him back against the couch. Natsu really liked this couch. It had served well and been a great wingman. Natsu squirmed. He wanted to touch Lucy, but she was determined to not let him. And he was getting frustrated with this game. Somewhere in the back of his mind, a voice suggested that she was trying to test his patience and if he could keep control she would eventually lost her patience. However, that voice was so quickly drowned out in the face of his _need_ for her. He shuddered as her fingers and lips danced over his entire, naked body, driving him to the edge of his sanity. And over it.

Letting loose an animalistic growl, Natsu flipped Lucy, putting her under him, lengthways along the couch. She laughed as he used one hand to pin both her arms above her head and brace himself. She'd won. She'd driven him out of control and was going to get exactly what she wanted from it. His mouth claimed as much of her as it could reach while his other free hand slid down her body to her soft folds. He rubbed at her engorged centre causing her to moan loudly. Normally he would take his time to drive her into utter chaos, but she'd done all the foreplay today and knew full well that he couldn't concentrate long enough for that. She didn't need it; she was already begging him.

"Natsu… please…"

He pulled back slightly as he shifted his position, letting go of her arms and making sure his weight was supported. Lucy looked up at him, into his eyes. Their dark pools held a wild and dangerous gleam, but they were also overflowing with affection and care. She reached her a hand up to grasp at his pink hair. He growled again, low and deep in his chest, as her other hand moved to guide him into her. She continued to watch with amusement as he tried to fight for control over his body. She wasn't about to let him have it. He whimpered. With a bit of a wiggle and then a thrust of her hips, she sheathed him to his hilt. His control broke fully and he snapped his own hips against her.

"God, yes." Lucy muttered, quickly losing her own connection to reality. "Natsu, please, move."

So he did. Slowly at first, but gaining speed, he moved back and forth on top of her. Her legs snaked around his thighs, forcing him deeper with each thrust. She tangled her fingers of one hand in his soft, messy hair and sunk her teeth into his shoulder, while the other hand clawed at his back. She lost herself as he ravaged her, mind clearly as clouded as her own.

It wasn't long before she was gasping for air. She could faintly hear herself screaming as ecstasy overwhelmed her and she came with a crash and a shudder, arching backwards. Natsu wasn't far behind, breath catching as he suddenly stopped, stiffening, and then went slack.

Natsu dropped his head forward, resting it on Lucy's soft shoulder as he tried to catch his breath. His head had cleared as soon as he'd felt release. This woman was his blessing and his curse. No one else had ever been able to do what she did to his mind. He scowled slightly. Lucy had accidentally discovered his slight mental instability last week. It wasn't something he liked anyone to know about. Yet, instead of being scared, she'd just hugged him, saying that she knew that no matter what, he would never hurt her. God, he hoped that were true. He wanted to believe it. Then, she'd decided to use it. He didn't feel angry at her; he'd honestly never had it set off in this way (it was normally him getting angry and then into a fight), she hadn't been hurt yet, and he sort of liked that it could be 'used for good' as Lucy had put it. He raised his head to gaze at her face, checking she was alright. She just smiled sleepily back at him. He relaxed and gave her a lazy grin back. He nuzzled into her neck again, enjoying the comforting feel. He grunted slightly as she squeezed her inner muscles around him again, shooting shivers up his spine. Even if she found humour in the reaction, he was spent. She wasn't going to get another round out of him for a while. With a sigh she unwound her legs from behind him, allowing him to gently slide out. He flopped onto his side between her and the back of the couch, gathering her into his arms so she could snuggle into his chest.

"You 'right, Lucy?" He wanted to check anyway.

"Better than alright. That was amazing." She sounded tired which made him chuckle. For all the things that she could do to him, he was glad he could at least do this to her.

"Hey, Natsu?"

"Mm?"

"Are you?"

"Eh? Yeah, 'course."

"Hey Natsu?"

"Mm?"

"What is this? What are we?"

What kind of a question was that? It was dangerous. On the other hand, it was probably best answered with the truth.

"I have no idea."

"Hm. Me either. But I like it. I hope it continues." Her voice had turned into a mumble. She was falling asleep.

Natsu chucked again, softer this time.

"I hope so too, Lucy. I really like you." There was no rush to figure out their relationship status. They both knew it wasn't a fling and that was enough for the time being.

He planted a gentle kiss on her forehead before joining her in sleep, tangled together on his newly favourite couch.


	4. Chapter 3

_**The Friends**_

It was early afternoon when Natsu wandered into his favourite bar, stretching his arms languidly above his head. Cana waved at him from her seat at the bar and turned to face him as he sat at a table not far away, immediately leaning back in the chair and bringing his feet up.

"Yo, Cana. Hey, Mira, can I get my job book and some whiskey, please?"

Natsu's job book was how he made money. Like he had told Lucy, he did odd jobs for cash, but it wasn't quite as haphazard as that might sound. People in his neighbourhood knew of him and were often contacting him, his friends, or the bar, to request his help. It helped that he was willing to do borderline illegal things. He'd once been asked to act as a drug runner, but he'd drawn the line there. The book was were the requests and contact details for clients were noted down.

Cana eyed her usual drinking buddy up and down. Something was different.

"Haven't seen you in a while, Natsu. Where 'ya been?"

"Huh? Eh." He shrugged. "Just around. Somethin' came up."

This elicited a raised eyebrow from the brunette. Natsu was impatient and energetic, probably with undiagnosed ADHD. He got bored easily (and you didn't want to see him bored, it normally ended in a brawl), so why wasn't he bouncing off the walls?

Mira returned from the back with the little notebook and a whole bottle of good Fire Whiskey. It seemed she's also noticed something was up and was hoping plying the boy with good alcohol would satisfy her curiousity. Cana grabbed both off of her and wandered over to join Natsu at his chosen table, handing both items over. He barely paid her any attention as he used his teeth to pull the cork out of the bottle and started flicking through the latest job offers. Cana waited until he was taking his third big swig of the drink before speaking again.

"Okay, spill the beans."

He froze, bottle still at his mouth, and raised an eyebrow at her.

"You are the most hyperactive person I know, so what the hell has you so calm?"

He brought the bottle down and narrowed his eyes at her.

"I have no idea what you're going on about."

Another voice interrupted.

"Hey, Flamebrain!"

"The hell do you want, Popsicle?"

"Fix the fucking fireplace like you said you would!"

"Fuck you. It'll get done today." He returned his attention to his book. He wanted something that paid well.

There was a pause and then.

"Hey, Natsu."

"What, Cana?"

"You didn't punch Ice Boy."

He didn't look up. "He should be grateful."

Cana's eyes widened as an idea suddenly came to her.

"Oh my god."

Natsu finally looked up again. "...What?"

"Holy shit! I know for a fact that there is only one thing on this planet that can get you this relaxed."

She cackled and leaned in conspiratorially as he growled out a warning to her.

"You fucking got laid last night, didn't you?"

"...No." He brought the bottle back to his mouth, but Cana was laughing again. His denial wasn't very convincing.

"Oh, this is brilliant. Tell me all! What did she look like? Was she hot? How'd you get her into bed?"

Natsu humphed at her, annoyed at her pestering.

"Eugh. If it will make you go away, then yes, I did. And yes, she was hot. Long, blonde hair, big brown eyes, huge boobs, little waist, gorgeous arse. I'm not telling you any more. Piss off."

Cana, giggling, snatched Natsu's bottle of whiskey out of his grip, gulping some down herself. She gasped as she remembered something else.

"Wait, blonde hair, gorgeous body, bit shorter than you?" He resumed glaring at her. "Ha! Oh god, Natsu. Either you have a type or this is ongoing. I saw you with a girl like that three weeks ago! It's the same one, isn't it?"

He'd stopped answering again. Cana knew it was because he was a terrible liar and didn't want to confirm her suspicions. Unfortunately for him, no answer was just as good proof that she was correct.

"Mira! It's a girl! He's got himself a girl!"

"I'm so glad no one else is here yet..." Natsu muttered to himself. He stuck his tongue out at Mira as she squealed in happiness. "Both of you, stay out of it. I'm leaving."

He was being childish and he knew it, but this wasn't anything new to his personality.

With another huff, he stood and headed out of the bar, pulling out his phone to contact someone about a job he'd decided on.

"Be back in a week."

"Be back for the party! I need my favourite drinking buddy!"

* * *

"A week, Levy! It's been a week!" Lucy wailed. "Why hasn't he contacted me?"

The petite, blue-haired girl patted her best friend's shoulder in an attempt to comfort her. They were catching up over coffee at a cute cafe in the city and Lucy was updating her to the boy situation.

"I'm still amazed that this has been going on for four weeks before you tell me." She muttered before trying a nicer approach. "Don't worry, Lucy. Guys are stupid. And scaredy-cats. Gajeel was so hot and cold for ages because he was freaking out. Maybe your guy is doing the same."

Lucy huffed, puffing out her cheeks in annoyance.

"Gajeel had me giving him a kick up the arse to actually ask you out."

"Wait, really?"

"Yes, really. Did you think he just suddenly grew balls?"

Levy giggled. "That explains so much."

Another whine from the blonde brought her back on topic.

"Lucy. If he's not contacting or responding then there's no point worrying about it. You've tried. Either he'll man up and get back to you or he's not worth it. Let's get your mind off it. Gajeel is having a party tomorrow night. I'll be slightly late but you should come. It's at a bar he goes to a lot."

"Mm... Yeah, you're right."

"Of course I am. I'm always right."

Lucy rolled her eyes at her.

"Okay, I'll go. It sounds fun. Maybe I'll make new friends."

"Good. I'll text you the location. Apparently Gajeel's cousin will be present. Maybe he's cute!"

"You mean the bane of his existence and apparent source of all chaos in the world? I don't think he could be cute enough to make up for that. Besides, if he's like Gajeel, he's not my type."

"You never know. Oh, and Juvia will be there with her new boyfriend."

Lucy groaned. "Everyone has a boyfriend except me!"

"Lucy! Enough!"

"Sorry..."

* * *

 _ **The Party**_

Lucy wandered into the pub, looking around wide eyed as she approached the bar. It was medium sized and looked old, but it was clean and welcoming. There was a small tussle going on over the other side and she could hear loud laughter of people who clearly had alcohol flowing through them. A pretty, white haired bartender waved a welcome at her.

"Hi there! Can I help you?"

Lucy smiled back. "Hello! Ah, I'm looking for Gajeel. Or Juvia. I'm a friend of there's and was invited to a party here?" She was slightly nervous that she was in the wrong place, but this fear was quickly quelled as the other woman beamed at her.

"Oh! Great! I'm Mira! It's nice to meet you!"

"Lucy. Nice to meet you too!"

"Um, they're all probably over there." She pointed towards the previously noted scuffle which had calmed down. "All the boys are a bit spirited so they bicker a lot. Don't fear, they won't hurt you!"

Lucy nodded and headed over to the group that seemed to mostly be boys. A flash of long blue hair helped her identify that Juvia was present, but she seemed distracted in her fussing over a dark haired boy who was missing his shirt. That must be her new boyfriend.

"Gihi. Yo, Blondie." The strange laugh and annoying nickname meant that Gajeel had noticed her. She waved.

"Hey Gajeel. Levy said she'd be another 15 minutes..." She trailed off as she rounded a table and saw a flash of pink. She stared at the boy lying on the ground, pinned by a brown-haired girl sitting on his chest, switching between having alcohol poured into his mouth and yelling obscenities at Juvia's boyfriend. Gajeel followed her gaze.

"That would be the cousin I complain about. Little shit disappeared for a week and Cana yelled something about getting him drunk and making him spill a secret. They're all idiots." He raised an eyebrow as Lucy didn't respond. Instead she took a step forward towards the messy scene.

"...Natsu?"

The pink haired boy froze in his attempts to wiggle free.

"...Oh, fuck."

He flipped, throwing Cana off him and jumping to his feet as he watched Lucy's expression morph into one of fury. He was in so much trouble.

"Natsu Dragneel. A week. I have heard not a peep from you in a whole week! And then I find you at a party pinned underneath another girl? You better start grovelling."

Natsu paled. This was even worse than he'd expected. He quickly weighed up his options. She was rightly pissed at him and wouldn't hesitate to leave if he wasn't careful... Or punch him. He was never going to live down what he was about to do, but he could deal with that if it meant he kept her. So, to the surprise of every one of his friends, Natsu dropped to his knees and started grovelling.

"Lucy! Goddess! Forgive me! Please. I freaked out. And I went out of town and found out my phone didn't work. And Cana trapped me, that was not my choice. Don't kill me!"

"Holy shit, Natsu. What did you do? Who the hell is this girl?"

Natsu flipped off his friend without looking his way, eyes locked on the terrifying woman in front of him who could crush him with a word. The next word he squeaked had his gathered friends drop their jaws.

"Babe?"

They never thought they'd hear the infamous Natsu, childish, fire-starter, trouble-maker, refer to a girl in a way that suggested actual feelings. Not to mention they'd never expected him to be scared enough to beg forgiveness.

She hadn't yet responded. Though she was clearly still angry, her facial expression was now more of an encouragement to keep up the stream of words.

"Please don't castrate me."

Lucy's brow finally quirked in slight amusement.

"As tempted as I am to mutilate you, the risk to my enjoyment is much too high."

She heard someone splutter and guffaw behind her as her implication hit. It took Natsu another minute to understand, but when he did his face broke into a wicked grin and he had to stifle a growl.

"I promise I'll make my absence up to you." He all but purred, suddenly unaware or uncaring of the presence of others, as he took a step towards her.

She snorted, still annoyed at him.

"You'd better."

"Woah, hold up. I have some questions."

"Damn it, Gajeel! This was interesting!"

It seemed Levy had shown up during the exchange and was now miffed that her show had been interrupted.

"Quiet, Shrimp."

She scowled at him but allowed him to continue.

"One, Shithead, how the fuck do you know Lucy, and 2, Lucy, how the fuck do you know my cousin?"

Natsu and Lucy stared at Gajeel in slight confusion. They briefly glanced and each other and shrugged before Natsu simply stated;

"Lucy's my girlfriend." He paused. "Well, I hope she still is... I fucked up."

Her hand reached out intertwining her fingers with his own.

"I am. I was working at the hospital a few weeks ago and he came in with an injury. That's how we met. You did fuck up, but we'll talk about it later."

"Are you kidding? Droopy-Eyes! Let me the hell out! Why am I in the icebox again?"

"More to the point, why the hell did I get included in punishment for _your_ deeds?"

"You're in there because you nearly burnt down the bar again, Slanty-Eyes! Lucy, you're in there because you're supposed to keep him under control and you failed."

"What the fuck, Gray? That's such a stupid reason! I have zero control over this idiot!"

"Later!"

"...Damn it. I'm going to get freezer burn again."

"Hm… Well, I suppose we need to pass the time while we're in here…"

"Huh. I suddenly don't mind iceboxes after all. Thank you, Gray!"

* * *

 **AND IT'S DONE**

 **This went for longer than I expected it to. And i'm pretty sure it dropped in quality after the first 2 chapters, so I apologise. That being said, it was a) based off a joke and b) was mostly a practice story, so it was sort of expected.**

 **Thank you everyone for favouriting it and following it and writing reviews! I've loved your responses! Feel free to read my other stuff! I'm probably going back to The Guild but that's a lot darker than this drabble, so it may not be to everyone's taste.**


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